Amy Rose's New School
by TailsLovesCosmo
Summary: Amy has just moved to a new town and a new school. Can she win the heart of the school track star, Sonic? And can she help her new best friend, Cream, get Tails away from rich girl, Cosmo? And what part do Shadow and Maria play in this story?
1. Chapter 1

Here's another alternate reality. Guess who the principal will turn out to be? You guessed! Some of the ages had to be switched around to get them all into the same high school. I was going to wait to start this at the end of Sonic X Final Cast Party, but at the rate that one's going, it'll be finished soon.

Seniors: Rouge, Vector, Storm, Wave, Nova (Cosmo's pony tailed sister from Sonic X), Maria

Juniors: Sonic, Knuckles, Espio, Mighty, Julie-Su, Shade, Anton Druuna, Shadow, Silver

Sophomores: Tails (skipped ahead a couple years), Big (let back a couple years), Mina

Freshmen: Amy, Blaze, Jet

Eighth Graders: Cream, Cosmo, Charmy, Marine, Ray, Bokkun, Matt Druuna

Teachers: Sonic's mother, Scratch, Grounder

Principal: Doctor Julian (the Eggman) Robotnik

AMY ROSE'S NEW SCHOOL

Chapter One

"Making New Friends"

Amy Rose fell out of bed as her alarm clock went off in her ear. "Argh! Stupid thing!" she yelled. "Shut up, already!" She hit the snooze button, crawled back into bed, and fell asleep again.

"Amy! Time for school!"

Amy moaned. "Can't I start tomorrow, Mom? Nothing ever happens the first day of school!"

"Come on, sleepyhead!" her mother called. "Your new friend, Cream, will be here soon."

Amy sat up. Cream was a year younger than her. They had met at the mall, clothes shopping. Cream was going into eighth grade. Because there was no junior high in the area, the seventh graders were stuck in elementary school, while the eighth graders were pushed right into high school. Cream was the type of girl who still loved stuffed animals, so she had been pretty nervous about high school. Amy, who had been to junior high back in Mercia, where she used to live, was already pretty much familiar with the differences between elementary and high school, and the two girls had agreed to start out the school year together.

Amy ate breakfast, brushed her teeth, and went through her wardrobe. She hadn't noticed it before, but it seemed like pretty much all she'd bought were red and pink. Some had cartoon characters on them. She finally settled on a plain red dress and shoes. She wanted people to pay attention to her, but not think she was backward or weird or something.

Amy was just brushing her hair, when the doorbell rang. "Amy! Your friend, Cream's here!"

Amy ran to meet her. Cream was the only person close to her own age she knew in Mobotropolis so far. Amy's father had been transferred over the summer, and Amy seriously wondered if she'd ever see any of her old friends again.

Cream was a floppy-eared bunny girl. She'd tied orange ribbons around her long ears, maybe because her orangy hair was too short for bows. She wore an orange dress with a picture of a weird little creature on it. Over the picture were the letters "CHAO."

"Cream, hi!" Amy said.

"Good morning, Amy!" Cream said. "Ready for school?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!"

"What a cute little monster on your dress!" Amy said. "What is it?"

"Oh, this is a chao," Cream said. "They're supposed to live in the mountains. Wouldn't it be great to find one for real? I think I'd call him 'Cheese!'"

"Cream and Cheese?!?" Amy said. So Cream still believed in fairy creatures. Cute, but she'd probably get teased a lot. "Sure, why not?"

On the way to school, Amy asked, "So, Cream, who's who at school?"

"Huh?" Cream said. She wasn't exactly "with it."

"I mean, who was really popular last year?" Amy explained.

"Oh," Cream said. "Well, there's Miles Prower. He was already in high school last year. He's my age, but he's this real genius, so he got skipped ahead a couple grades. I think he's going to be a sophomore!"

"Sounds like a real nerd," Amy said. "Does he wear glasses and talk with big words?"

"Glasses, no," Cream said, "big words, all the time. He gets picked on a lot. Anton and Matt Druuna were always picking on him. Matt's my age, Anton's a junior, I think."

"Poor guy," Amy said. "You seem to know an awful lot about him." Amy grinned and looked her friend right in the eyes. "You wouldn't have a thing for him, would you?"

Cream blushed. "Um…no," she said. "My mom wouldn't let me date. And Miles' mother is really strict. And his dad's in the army. I think he's really disappointed in him." She seemed to be struggling with something. Finally, she said, "People always pick on him for another reason. He…um…he has two tails."

"Two tails?" Amy repeated. "Freaky!"

"People call him Tails because of that," Cream said. "The only reason he doesn't get beat up all the time is because Nicky Parlouzer looks out for him."

"What's this Nicky guy like?" Amy asked, interested.

"Well, he's a hedgehog, like you," Cream said, "and he's our school's track star."

"He's fast, huh?" Amy said.

"Yeah, last year he came in first in every race," Cream said. "Everybody calls him Sonic the Hedgehog, 'cause he can really move. He's also great at tennis and badminton. But he can't swim. In fact, there's a rumor going around that he's afraid of water. Won't go near the pool."

"Hmm, maybe he almost drowned when he was a kid or something?" Amy said.

"Maybe," Cream said.

"Um…I was thinking about going out for the cheerleading squad," Amy said. "Wanna join me?"

"Maybe," Cream said. "The head cheerleader's this girl named Rouge. She wears way too much make-up, and I hear she's way into martial arts."

"Would I be cheering for this Nicky guy?" Amy asked. "Is he on the football team?"

"Yeah, he's the quarterback," Cream said. "The captain is this really serious guy who everybody calls Knuckles. He gets into fights all the time and gets suspended, and Sonic has to take over for him."

"So he's a hood?" Amy asked.

"I think his dad was a boxer, and wants him to follow in his footsteps," Cream said. "He's on the boxing team, the wrestling team, and the martial arts team. He does that thing, you know, where you smash wooden blocks with a karate chop. Hai-yah!" She pantomimed chopping something in half. "He never takes off his gloves, so there's a rumor that his hands are really gross. He did something called…conditioning to his hands."

"Sounds like you really get around," Amy teased.

Cream blushed. "Actually," she admitted, "I was really nervous about going to high school. So I asked Tails what's going on." She sighed. "He was very nice, but he doesn't know that I'm even alive."

"But you don't have a thing for him, do you?" Amy teased.

"Well, actually, he has this pen pal from someplace way, way off," Cream said. "She's being sent here this year, and Tails is really nervous about it. I, um, I don't think he told her he's a nerd."

"Jealous?" Amy asked.

"I haven't met her yet," Cream said. "If she's nice, maybe we can be friends. If she's mean, maybe I'll try to take Tails away from--Oh no! Did I just say that out loud?!"

Amy giggled.

Just inside of the school gates, they ran into a huge purple cat. "Duh, hi, Cream!" he said.

"Oh, hi, Big," Cream said. "This is Amy. Amy, this is my buddy, Big."

"Hi there, Big," Amy said, shaking his hand. "You trying out for the football team?"

"Hi!" Big said. "Well, my dad keeps telling me to every year, but guys jump on you in football, don't they? That'd hurt!"

"Uh…yeah," Amy said, trying not to laugh. Big seemed nice, but he clearly wasn't very bright.

"I got let back twice," Big said, as if he'd read Amy's mind. "'cause I can't pay attention in class."

"Oh wow, I'm sorry," Amy said. "You know, there's medication for that."

"My dad says 'just say no!'" Big said.

"I don't think that's what that means," Amy said.

"Do you like frogs?" Big asked Amy. "I got six at home!"

"Great!" Amy said. "Good for you!"

"Ow! Stop it!" That came from around the corner.

"I got a B on that paper!" came a mean voice.

"You can't start getting As," the other voice said. "Nobody'll believe it! Ow!"

"Smart guy, huh?"

"Oh dear," Cream said, "that must be Tails and Anton!"

"Well, I'm gonna give this Anton a piece of my mind!" Amy said.

"Um, Anton's really strong," Cream warned. But once Amy had an idea in her head, nothing could get her to change it.

Amy rounded a corner to see a big lizard threatening a little fox who was obviously dressed by his mother. He had "geek" written all over him. A smaller lizard, no doubt Anton's little brother, Matt, was egging the bully on.

"Show him who's boss, Anton!"

"Hey!" Amy yelled. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"

Anton turned around. He smirked at Amy. Then he noticed Big.

"Whoa, hey, it's the retard!" Anton said.

"That's a terrible thing to say!" Cream cried. "Big isn't stupid! He just has trouble learning!"

"No, my dad tells me I'm stupid all the time," Big said.

"That's awful!" Amy said. "But one problem at a time. You leave that boy alone, you big bully!"

"Why don't you make me, sweetie?" Anton said, puckering up.

"Ewww…gross!" Amy said.

"Hey, hey, what's the problem?" Another hedgehog had shown up. He had on a track suit and the sweat stains showed that he'd been running a lot.

"Sonic!" the fox cried, sounding very relieved.

So this was the famous Sonic the Hedgehog. He's dreamy! Amy thought. Yes, she definitely had to be a cheerleader, if she'd be rooting _him_ along. Amy'd never had a boyfriend before. She hoped to change that soon, and this guy was just what the doctor had ordered. Well, maybe the fox would put in a good word for her, since she'd offered to help save him from that bully.

Said bully was now looking from Sonic to Big to Sonic again. Anton snorted. "See you around, losers!" He and his brother sauntered off together.

"You okay, Tails?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, thanks, Sonic," Tails said. He turned to Amy. "And thank you too, uh…"

"Amy, Amy Rose, " Amy said. I'm starting here today." She turned to the other hedgehog. "And you must be the famous Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Well, I don't mean to brag," Sonic said, grinning, "but that's me all right. See ya around, Amy. Tails, try to keep away from those guys." Then he was gone.

"I'm so sorry that keeps happening, Tails!" Cream said. "Are you okay?"

"Sure, I'm fine," Tails said. But he looked very embarrassed.

"That guy's not nice!" Big said. "Do you think he bites?"

Amy was still staring at the spot where Sonic had disappeared into the crowd.

"Well, we'd all better get to class," Tails said. "I have calculus first class."

"Wow, that sounds hard," Cream said. "I'm still having trouble with algebra. Maybe you could help me sometime?" Actually, Cream was pretty good at algebra, but Amy had suggested that playing dumb was a good way to attract a guy's attention, and Cream couldn't think of anything else to try.

"Sure," Tails said, "I'm meeting Sonic after school. We're going to run some laps. I'm hoping to get into track. My dad wants me doing sports, but I'm not exactly built for football or basketball." He was short and a little pudgy, but Cream found him adorable.

"I'll see you, then, Tails," Cream said. "Come on, Amy!" She started to walk to class, then stopped. Amy still hadn't moved.

'Um…Amy?"

"He's so dreamy!" Amy squealed. "I want him! I want him! I want him!"

"Good luck," Tails said, starting to leave, "he's pretty popular."

"What?!? Other girls want my Sonic?!?" Amy shrieked. "Point them out to me! I'll rip their hair out by the roots!"

"Um…you're kidding, right?" Tails said nervously.

"I have a croquet set at home!" Amy said, not listening to him. "I'll bring the red mallet to school tomorrow, and…pow!"

Just then, a green stretch limo pulled up. A huge giant of a creature, green, with horns on his head, wearing a chauffeur's uniform, got out. He opened the back door, and helped a girl about Tails' age out. She had green hair, and seemed to be wearing flowers in her hair. She wore a long-sleeved green and white top with gold cuffs, a long white and green skirt, and green slippers. She had a sort of greenish tinge to her skin. He went around to the other side, and helped out an older girl who wore her green hair in ponytails. She was dressed similarly, only her outfit was red and white. It was obvious that they were sisters.

"I'll be back to pick you up at three, Miss Nova, Miss Cosmo," the giant said.

"Thank you, Mr. Zelkova," the younger girl said sweetly. "And don't worry, I'll put in a good word for you with Daddy. You'll be back in the ring in no time." The older one rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Cosmo," the giant said. He got back into the limo. Before he closed the door, Amy, Cream, and Tails could see that he had a lot of fast food takeout and one of those five hundred page manga magazines. He might be huge, but he was definitely a geek.

"I'll see you at lunch, little sister," the older green girl said. She noticed Tails. Amy could see her mouth the word "freak."

"Excuse me, please," the younger girl said, bowing to Tails, "I am looking for a Mister Miles Prower."

"Um…uh…duh…" Tails said.

"He never sent you a picture of himself, did he?" Amy asked, grinning.

"No," the girl admitted, bowing to Amy, then Cream. "Do you know Miles?"

"Mime Iles!" Tails cried. "I mean, I'm Miles!"

She bowed to him again. "I am Cosmo. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Miles." Then she noticed his two tails. "Oh my. How…interesting."

"Um…uh…let me help you get settled in," Tails said. He walked away with Cosmo, forgetting to say good bye to Cream and Amy.

"Are you okay, Cream?" Amy asked.

"I didn't know she was rich!" Cream said. "Or beautiful! And the way she was dressed…" Cream looked down at her CHAO dress. "I look like a stupid little kid next to her!" She threw her arms around Amy. "Oh, Amy! I just blew my entire life!"

"Don't worry," Amy assured her. "You'll get Tails. And I'll get Sonic."

"But…how?"

Amy Rose grinned. "We just have to play hard ball."

Cream gasped. "Amy? I don't like that look on your face." Amy looked purely devilish.

"Don't worry," Amy assured her as they headed for first class. "I'll take care of everything! What could go wrong?"

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

AMY ROSE'S NEW SCHOOL

Chapter Two

"Amy's Plan"

Amy and Cream were in the same first period class together. So naturally, they took seats together. Cream, who wanted to improve her grades, wanted to sit up front, but Amy, who wanted to daydream, talked her into sitting in the back.

"We can pass notes and whisper back here," Amy said. There was little worry about being heard. Everybody was talking, since the teacher hadn't come in yet.

"I don't want to get in trouble," Cream said. "My mom says, 'Oh, honey, I'm so disappointed in you," if I do something stupid. And my daddy says, 'Go to your room, and think about what you've done, young lady.' Don't yours?"

"Actually, my mother gives me 'the look,' and my dad says, "She takes after your side of the family all right."

"So, what are we going to do to get Tails and Sonic?" Cream asked after a minute.

"Give me until lunchtime," Amy said. "I'm still working on this."

Actually, so far, Amy had only the vaguest idea of how to help Cream. She had mostly been thinking about how to win over that track star. Of course, it was important that she get to be a cheerleader first, and she hadn't met this Rouge yet.

Speak of the devil. Cream hissed, "There's the head cheerleader coming in now!"

Amy looked to see a white-haired girl with a build she would die for, wearing a dress that looked a couple of sizes too small, bounce into the room. She looked around, then folded her arms. "Hmph!" Amy heard her say dismissively. "No cute guys in this class! Oh well, maybe I'll actually be able to concentrate on the subject for a change!" She flounced to the back of the room, and ended up sitting right beside Amy. Perfect! Now if Amy could just make friends with her, she was in.

Amy was rehearsing how to introduce herself to the senior, when a tall rooster stepped into the room.

"Haha haha!" he laughed. It was an extremely annoying laugh. "Okay, class! Settle down! I'm Mr. Scratch, and I'll you know right now that I won't be putting up with any shenanigans in my class! Haha haha!" That laugh was going to drive Amy crazy!

"Mr. Scratch?" Amy said, thinking out loud. "Isn't that another name for the devil?"

"Oh, yeah, like I've never heard that one before!" the teacher said, suddenly right beside her desk. "What's your name, young lady?"

"A-amy R-rose, sir!" Amy stuttered.

"Well, Miss Rose," Scratch said. "I'll be keeping my eye on you!" He addressed the class. "Everybody, I'd like you all to say hello to…Rosie the Rascal! Haha haha!"

Amy blushed. He'd just given her an embarrassing nickname…right in front of everybody!

As the teacher went up to the front of the class, Rouge passed her a note. Amy checked to make sure the rooster wasn't watching, then unfolded it. "Nice one…Rosie the Rascal!" Amy wondered if that meant Rouge was impressed with her, or laughing at her. Probably a little of both. Well, if it helped her get to be a cheerleader, it was worth it.

Scratch was about the stupidest teacher Amy had ever seen. He was full of himself, even though he made several mistakes that Amy was afraid to point out. She didn't want to wind up in detention. Unless, of course, Sonic got it. Then she'd hit this geek with a spitball or something.

At last, the bell ending first period ended.

"What a maroon!" Rouge said when Scratch left. "I think he's even more annoying this year than last year!" She pulled a brush out of her purse and started fixing her hair.

"Um, hi," Amy said.

"Oh, yeah," Rouge said. "Rosie the Rascal. You want something?"

"Um, I was just wondering when cheerleader tryouts are?" Amy said, her mouth suddenly feeling like it had cotton in it.

"Friday, right after last period," Rouge said. "You think Scratch is an idiot, wait until you get a load of Grounder." She went back to brushing her hair and said nothing more to Amy.

Amy started to gather her books.

"What are you doing, Amy?" Cream asked.

"Um…first period's over right?" Amy said. "So we go to our next class, don't we?"

"Are you for real?" Rouge asked, laughing. "We stay in the same class all day! The teachers move!"

"Huh?" Amy said. "That's not how they do it in Mercia!"

"Mercia?" Rouge repeated. "That's where you're from? So, you're a hillbilly, right?"

Amy blushed. "What? No way! I wore satin and lace in Mercia! And a parasol!"

"A…parasol?" Rouge said. That really broke her up. "You're such a card, Rosie the Rascal!" She slapped Amy on the back. "And here I was afraid my senior year would be dull!"

"Um, but if you're a senior, why are you in the same classes we're in?" Cream asked.

Rouge blushed. "None of your business, kid!" She went back to brushing her hair and ignored them.

Amy glared at Cream. Obviously, Rouge spent a lot more time dating than studying. She was probably averaging D's, with some F's in the mix.

The next teacher was a hedgehog.

"Good morning, class!" she said, smiling. "I'm Mrs. Parlouzer."

Oh no! Mrs. Parlouzer?!? Was this…Sonic's mom?!? Amy realized she'd have to be on her best behavior here. If she got in trouble now, Mrs. Parlouzer would never let her son go out with her! Amy was a nervous wreck for the entire class.

Luckily, the hedgehog was a good teacher. Amy didn't have to pretend to pay attention. They got a ten minute break after that. Amy ran to the restroom. She found Cosmo just coming out.

"Oh, hello!" Cosmo said, bowing. "You are Miles' friend, yes? Uh…Amy, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm Amy!" Amy said. "But I just met Miles today."

"But your good friend, Cream, knows him quite well, yes?"

"Why?" Amy asked. If this girl wanted Amy to tell Cream to stay away from Tails, she just might take a poke at her. She hated girls who dressed all in lace and acted so ritzy.

"She probably knows what he likes," Cosmo explained. "She can tell me what to purchase for his birthday party next month."

What to purchase? Who talked like that?

"How may I arrange to meet your friend, so that we may discuss Miles' birthday?" Cosmo asked.

"I think I _am_ going to take a poke at her!" Amy thought. She wanted to arrange a meeting with Cream? Was she for real?

Cosmo reached into her purse and pulled out a card. She handed it to Amy. "This is my address and telephone number," she said with a smile. "Thank you for your time!" She bowed, then hurried away.

Amy nearly ripped the card up, but she decided it would be a good idea to know where this girl lived, so she slipped it into her purse. Then she rushed into the restroom. She barely made it. "You'll pay for that too!" she said out loud in the restroom.

The next period, they had a just plain weird-looking teacher. He looked like, well, like a lawn mower or something. Obviously, he was some kind of robot.

"Okay, class!" he said in a voice that sounded like he had a bad cold. "I am Mister Grounder! And this is math class! So take out your books, and let's get started. Where did I leave my pencil?" It was in his hand.

"Resist the urge to get in trouble!" Amy told herself. This guy was even dumber than Scratch!

"So, in conclusion," Grounder said at the end of the class, "the square root of one hundred and sixty-nine is…" he pointed to Rouge. "What, Miss Bat?"

"Huh?" Rouge said, waking up. "French toast, Mom!"

"I ain't your mother!" Grounder said. "Let's not have a repeat of last year, shall we?"

As he left, Amy whispered, "What the heck was that?"

"Some weird experiment the principal came up with," Rouge said with a shrug. "What? You didn't know that Principal Egghead is a mad scientist?"

An idiot rooster, the mother of the guy she had a crush on, and now a robot built by a mad scientist principal for teachers?!? Amy felt like she'd stepped into a weird manga. The next teacher had to be either be a great looking guy or some kind of demon!

But he turned out to be a nerdy-looking little man with glasses. "Good morning, students," he said, bowing. "I am Mister Tanaka, and unless you're in the wrong room, you're here to learn history!" He proved to be very enthusiastic about his work. When he described the fall of Rome, he climbed onto his desk and acted out a sword duel.

"Pardon me," Mister Tanaka said suddenly. "The lady in the red dress in the back row? Could you try not laughing quite so loudly at me?"

Amy blushed. "S-sorry!" she said.

Lunch came next. Amy was relieved to get out of that room. Unfortunately, she still didn't know how to help Cream get Tails away from that Cosmo girl.

At the lunchroom, however, Amy saw something that made her heart stop. Her Sonic was talking to a girl! She moved through the crowded room, straining her ears to hear what they were saying.

"So, how 'bout it, Sal?" Sonic was saying to the girl. "Movie tonight?"

"I'll have to check my appointment book!" the girl said. She reached into her purse, pulled out a book, and skimmed through it. "I think I can pencil you in!"

"Great!" Sonic said. "See ya around!"

Amy was stewing, but it got worse. A cute purple cat came up to him. "Hey, Sonic!" she said.

"Well, hey, Blaze," Sonic said. "Aren't you afraid Silver will get jealous, you talking to me?"

"He doesn't own me!" Blaze said, pouting. "Besides, he's out today. Dentist's appointment. So how about you and me go out for a soda after school, handsome?"

"Well, I'll have to check," Sonic said, "but I'm sure I can squeeze you in."

"Well, of course you can!" the cat said, purring. "I'll be seeing you, cutie!"

Amy saw red. But it got even worse. Rouge sauntered over to Sonic. "Hey, gorgeous!" she said. "Why don't you come up and see me some time?"

"Aren't you going out with Knuckles?" Sonic asked.

"He doesn't understand me," Rouge said. "He's as romantic as an old shoe."

Amy couldn't take any more. She turned and marched out of the lunchroom, bumping right into Cream.

"Oof!" Cream cried, falling over backwards. She ended up sitting in a trash can.

"Oh my gosh!" Amy cried, helping her out. "I'm sorry, Cream!"

"Oh no!" Cream cried. "There was something wet in there!"

And, of course, it was just then that Tails and Cosmo showed up.

"Is that a tradition here?" Cosmo asked. "Climbing in trash cans? My sister, Nova, once squeezed into a phone booth with twelve other people."

"It's the latest trend," Amy said with a straight face. "You should try it, Cosmo!"

"Maybe in old clothes," Cosmo said, looking at the trash can. "I think someone poured hot chocolate in that one. It doesn't seem like a good choice, Cream."

"Amy, don't tell Cosmo crazy things!" Tails said. "Come on, Cosmo!" They went into the lunchroom hand in hand.

"Well," Cream said with a sigh, "there's always Bokkun."

"Who?" Amy asked.

As if he'd heard her, a short, skinny, weird-looking little guy came up to Cream. "Hey, beautiful! Would you like to go out with me? Hahahahaha! Whoa, I got an itch!"

Amy looked at Cream. Then she grabbed her arm. "Let's go!" she said.

"See you around, Bokkun!" Cream said.

"See ya, Cream!" He looked at the trash can. "Oo, somebody threw in French fries! Five hour rule!"

"No!" Amy said as she led Cream outside. "You are absolutely not going to go out with that dweeb!"

"But he's the only boy that's ever asked me out!" Cream said.

"You can do better!" Amy insisted. She looked at Cream's dress. "Your little monster's cute, but you're not going to get boys that way. What else do you have in your closet?"

"Um…an orange dress, a pink dress, a green dress that says 'Nobody Loves the Hulk!,' another orange dress, another pink dress, another orange dress, a…"

"That's enough!" Amy cut her off. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Cream looked confused. "What?"

"You need a whole new wardrobe," Amy said. "And that means…shopping trip after school!"

"But my mother won't let me buy anything she doesn't see first," Cream said.

"No problem," Amy said. "You can keep anything you're uncertain about at my place. You come over before school in one of your baby outfits, and change! First problem solved!"

"My outfits are babyish?!?" Cream sobbed.

The next three teachers were letdowns after the first bunch. More competent than Scratch or Grounder, but less interesting than Mrs. Parlouzer or Mister Tanaka. That just left last period, gym, to get through.

"Ah! Cream! Amy!" Cosmo cried as they entered the locker room. "I am pleased to see we have one class together! This school is so different from what I am used to." Her face fell. "But Daddy says I have to come here this year because he's going to be doing a lot of business with Black Arms Manufacturing."

"Uh…that's nice," Cream said. "That's a big automobile company, right?"

"Yes, and they also make other things," Cosmo said. "Toothbrushes, combs, and Y-Boxes."

Amy rolled her eyes. They hadn't asked Cosmo for her life story!

As Cosmo left the locker room, she called, "Oh, Amy! You should see a doctor about that mole on your back!" She walked off, humming to herself.

"I'm gonna kill her!" Amy muttered.

"Bokkun's not too bad," Cream said, sounding like she was talking more to herself than to Amy. "You just have to watch out for his practical jokes."

"You are not going out with Bokkun!" Amy insisted. "There has to be somebody else."

"Well, there's Charmy," Cream said. "But he's sort of seeing someone too. Then there's Big. I think he kind of likes me…"

Poor Cream. A nerd, a practical joker, a boy with a girlfriend, and a guy whose own father said he was stupid. Those were her choices? "We'll talk more on the way to the mall," Amy said. "Let's get this over with!"

Amy and Cream left the locker room. The lady's coach, a huge woman who looked like a former sumo wrestler, blew a whistle. "Okay, you maggots!" she yelled. "I'm Coach Woods, and today I think we'll just run laps, so…move out!"

Amy moaned as she headed for the field. Then she gasped. The boys were running laps too. And one of them was a blue hedgehog. Suddenly, gym was Amy's favorite class!

"You're joking," another hedgehog said. This one was black with red streaks in his quills. He was speaking to a figure seated behind a large desk.

"Have you ever known me to joke, boy?" the other demanded.

No. No, he never had. "But, Father…"

"Better do what he says, little brother," a smirking lizard said from the doorway. "It's not like you have a choice, anyway."

"Why not have him do it?" the hedgehog demanded. "Why me?" The lizard stuck his tongue out.

"Because I said so," their father said in a cold, hard voice. "Do not go against me, Shadow! You will be starting at this school tomorrow. And you _will_ do exactly as I told you."

"I won't!" Shadow cried. He turned to leave. As he did, the lizard tripped him.

"Don't walk away while Father's talking to you!" the lizard said.

Their father pounded his desk. "You _will_ obey me, ungrateful son! Or do you want your friend, Maria, to hear that you've been cheating on her?"

"I would never cheat on Maria!" Shadow insisted, getting to his feet.

"At my command, you will, boy!" Black Doom said. "YOU WILL!!!"

What does Black Doom want Shadow to do? And how does it affect Amy and Cream? Maybe we'll all find out next time!


	3. Chapter 3

AMY ROSE'S NEW SCHOOL

Chapter Three

"One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"

Amy had hoped for a chance to talk to Sonic while running laps, but she soon realized that it was nearly impossible for her to talk and run at the same time. Sonic, on the other hand, seemed to have no such problem. Unfortunately, he also seemed to have no interest in waiting for her.

"Hi, Amy!" he called as he raced past her, practically a blue blur.

"Hi!" Amy cried.

The next time he passed her, he waved, and called, "Get a horse!"

"Hi…huff…Sonic!" Amy cried.

The next time, he was running backwards, "Yma, Ih!" he said. He could even talk backwards while running!

Amy, on the other hand, could barely mutter "Hi," much less think of anything clever to say. Her legs felt like rubber. She finally stopped. As she gasped for breath, Cream passed her, breathing like a steam engine. She looked like she was about to pass out.

"Warm today, isn't it?" Cosmo asked, jogging easily past her. She hadn't broken a sweat! Amy was so going to get her with her croquet mallet!

When the coach finally blew her whistle and told the girls to hit the showers, Amy was staggering around like she was drunk.

"Whoa, hey!" a voice said to her. "You should cut down on the drinking!"

Amy looked up, intending to tell off the smart aleck, then saw that it was Sonic. "So…huff…Sonic!" she gasped. "I'd like…puff…to talk to…wheeze…you after…gasp…class!"

"You're kind of out of shape, aren't you?" Sonic said. "Listen, I know some breathing techniques that can help. I'll show you a couple after class."

Despite her exhaustion, Amy beamed from ear to ear. "Great! When can I…huff…see you?"

"I'll be running laps for an hour after school," Sonic said, stretching, "so I'll see you right here. Oh, make sure you do some stretches, or you'll have trouble getting up in the morning!" He dropped to the field and started doing push-ups.

"Hey!" a big, red-haired guy with big hands covered with gloves, yelled. "You call those push-ups! Let me show you how it's done!" He kissed his biceps, then dropped and started doing push-ups with one hand behind his back.

"Beat it, Knucklehead!" Sonic said. So this was Knuckles, the captain of the football team. He looked like he was all brawn and very little brain.

"You're just jealous, shorty!" Knuckles said. "Watch! One finger!" He did this a few times, then missed a beat and fell on his nose. "Arrgh!"

"And that's why we call him Knucklehead!" Sonic said, jumping to his feet. "Well, you'd better hit the showers before your drill sergeant comes out. I'll see you around."

"Bye, Sonic!" Amy called, waving. He'd noticed her! And he wanted to work out with her! Amy saw them boxcercising and doing aerobics every day together. As her fantasies went wild, she could see them at the movies and the mall and walking down the aisle together. She squealed at the thought.

"Hey!" the coach practically yelled in her ear. "Stop spinning around in circles and hit the showers! What are you, insane?"

Amy ran into the shower room. She crashed into Cosmo, who was just leaving, knocking the smaller girl over. "Oh! Excuse me!" Cosmo cried.

Amy helped her up. She didn't need a rich girl wanting to get even with her. Her life was already getting too complicated too fast. She practically had a date with Sonic, but she also still didn't have a clue how to help Cream get Tails away from this girl.

Cream was the only person still inside. "You spent a long time talking to Sonic," she said. "I hope things are working out for you, Amy."

"So far so good!" Amy said, trying her combination.

"So…what do I do about Cosmo?" Cream asked.

"Um…we'll discuss you and Tails after I talk to Sonic a little more," Amy said, trying her combination again. "He's going to help me with my running."

"Well, you did seem a little out of shape today," Cream said. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by that!"

"Don't worry about it," Amy said, trying her combination again. "Stupid locker!"

"Well, I'm going to the science lab," Cream said. "Tails said he usually hangs out there after school for awhile, looking through microscopes and things. He used a lot of big words, so I don't really know what he's doing."

"Yeah, sure," Amy said, trying her combination yet again. "I'll meet you at that little mini market down the street in about an hour or so. Then we'll go to the mall to work on Operation: Get Tails from Rich…Argh! I'm gonna kill whoever gave me this locker!"

"Here, let me try," Cream said. Amy gave her the combination. Cream opened it on the first try. "I…guess you…loosened it for me," Cream said, a bit nervous by the look on Amy's face.

"Thanks," Amy muttered. As Cream left, Amy sank down on a bench. "Ah, man! I'm pathetic!"

When Amy finally left the locker room, she looked around for Sonic. When she saw him, she froze. That purple cat was running alongside him! Of all the nerve! Didn't she realize he was Amy's guy? Besides, didn't she have a boyfriend at the dentist?

"Another obstacle in the path of true love!" Amy yelled out loud. "I'll show her!" She hurried down to the field and waited for them to run by. As they came around, Amy pretended to stumble right into the cat. They both went down.

"Oof! Hey! What is your problem?" the cat demanded.

"Sorry!" Amy said. "I tripped."

"Well, next time trip in someone else's direction!" the cat said.

"You okay, Blaze?" Sonic asked, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine," Blaze said, brushing herself off. "But my clothes look terrible! I knew I should have worn my gym outfit!" She turned to Amy. "I ought to give you my cleaning bill!"

"Isn't your boyfriend out of the dentist's office by now?" Amy asked sweetly. "You might want to make sure some other girl doesn't go after him."

"He's so clueless, he'd never notice," Blaze said. "Wait. How did you know Silver's at the dentist? Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh, this is Amy," Sonic said. "She's a little out of shape, so I'm helping out a little."

"Yes, she could stand to lose a bit of weight," Blaze said.

"Oh yeah?" Amy yelled. "And how much do _you_ weigh?"

Blaze sputtered. "None of your business!" She turned to Sonic. "Is she saying I'm fat?"

"You both look great to me," Sonic said, grinning.

"Well, I'll see you later, Sonic," Blaze said. She and Amy stared daggers at each other for a second, and then Blaze flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked away like a princess going to her coronation.

"Now," Amy said, smiling. "You were going to help me out?" She batted her eyes at him.

"Got something in your eye?" Sonic asked. Okay, he was a wise guy. That just made him more interesting to Amy.

While Sonic was showing Amy how to run properly, Cream stepped into the science lab. She sighed when she saw Cosmo sitting on a table, watching Tails.

"So," Tails was saying, holding a test tube under a Bunsen burner, "by analyzing the aldehydes in this, you can calculate the ratio for the next experiment."

"That's…fascinating," Cosmo said. Cream would have laughed at Cosmo's completely confused expression, except for that fact that she hadn't understood what Tails was saying either. Maybe the poor guy was just a little too smart, she thought.

"Yes, well, I've discovered that by manipulating the spectrum, I can create different conclusions," Tails went on.

"That's wonderful," Cosmo said. "Um…will this take too much longer? Mister Zelkova is going to come bursting in here soon, I'm afraid."

"Good," Cream said to herself. Maybe that big galoot with the comic books would take Cosmo away, and Cream would get a chance to talk to Tails alone.

"Oh, am I keeping you?" Tails asked. "I'm sorry. I've already finished my work. This is just for extra credit." He laughed. "I'm not even sure why I'm doing it. Last year I got As in every class except P.E."

"Oh?" Cosmo asked. "And what did you get there?"

Tails suddenly flushed. "Um…a D, actually. I couldn't do the stupid chin ups. Poor upper body strength, I guess."

"Is that where you hang from a bar and try to pull your head up over it?" Cosmo asked. "Oh, I can't do those. I'm going to flunk for sure."

Ah hah! There was Cream's opening. "Um, excuse me?" she said.

"Oh, Cream! Hi!" Tails said. "Doing a science project?"

"Um…" Okay, how did she explain what she was doing in science lab? "I…knew you'd be here, and I was wondering if you knew anything about…astronomy…because…uh…is Pluto a planet, or isn't it?" D'oh! That sounded so stupid!

"Well," Tails said, "that depends on your definition on the word 'planet.' Do we judge it by weight or circumference, or by its orbit or affect on the other planets? According to Copernicus…"

Cosmo suddenly seemed fascinated by her shoes. Cream, unable to think clearly, decided to stare at her own.

"Note to self," she thought, "never ask Tails to explain anything scientifically if you don't really want to know!" Was he actually quoting Latin now?

"You speak German?" Cosmo asked Tails.

"Just a little," Tails admitted.

Great. Cream couldn't even tell the difference between German and Latin!

"Daddy made us learn a little of several languages," Cosmo said. "I got French and German, Nova got Chinese and Italian, Galaxina, she's the oldest, she got Spanish and English. Sunflower got Russian and Korean. I've also picked up just enough from them that I can order seconds in a restaurant in nine languages!"

Cream made a strangled sound. She was having enough trouble learning English, and Cosmo and her sisters were all taking two foreign languages?!? And Cosmo knew a little of her sisters' six languages too?!? Even Cream's Japanese wasn't all that great!

"Are you okay, Cream?" Tails asked.

"Would you like a drink of water?" Cosmo asked, opening her purse. "I always carry a couple of bottles of water. It's important to stay well hydrated."

"I'm just fine," Cream said. "Um…" her mind went completely blank.

"Oh, there you are, Miss Cosmo!" came a voice from the doorway. Zelkova stood there, chauffeur's cap in his hand. "I'm sorry, but your father wants to call a big family meeting as soon as he gets home."

Cosmo sighed. "I'm sorry, Tails," she said, taking his hands in hers. "But I've got to be going now. I'll see you in the morning." She gave him a peck on the cheek, then waved to Cream. "Bye-bye!"

"Good bye, Cosmo!" Tails said, waving. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, bye," Cream said. Well, now she was alone with Tails. "Come on, brain! Give me something to work with here!"

"So, how can I help you, Cream?" Tails asked once Cosmo and Zelkova were gone.

"You can dump her and go out with me!" Cream thought. Out loud, she said, "Um…I was going to the mall, and I wondered if you'd…like to come with me? We could…see a movie or something?"

"Thanks," Tails said, "but I really don't care for any of the movies out right now. And I really should be getting home as soon as I finish this last experiment." He turned back to the Bunsen burner. "If I'm write, this solution should turn from orange to purple once it reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit!"

"Oh," Cream said with a sigh. He had paid attention to Cosmo, but, now she was gone, he'd gone back to his work. Cream just didn't register to him. "I…um…I guess I should be going then. I'll see you tomorrow, Tails! Bye-bye!"

"Bye, Cream!" Tails said, barely looking at her. "See you around!"

Cream ran back to the track field. Amy was running laps with Sonic. Cream sat down in the front row of the bleachers. Amy seemed to be doing okay. What was _her_ problem?

But Amy was having problems of her own. "Okay, I think that's enough for one day," Sonic said. "One more lap, and then I need to get back to my training. I think I'll run to the beach."

Amy gasped. "But that's nearly five miles!"

Sonic shrugged. "Gotta stay in shape, ya know!" he said.

And all too soon, he left her and started on his five mile run. Amy would have gone with him, but she knew that a jog like that would probably kill her.

"No luck either, huh, Amy?" Cream asked, coming over to her.

"Let's go to the mall!" Amy said, grabbing Cream's arm. "It's time we got serious about our goals!"

And so Amy and Cream were off on an adventure that neither one of them would ever forget.

Shadow walked slowly up the driveway of the old mansion. Once an elegant example of opulence, it had fallen on bad times. He'd hoped doing business with his father would solve the money problems his friend's family was experiencing, but his father was liable to change his mind at any time. There was always the chance that Black Doom might renege on any promises just for the sheer fun of it.

"Master Shadow," the butler said, bowing. "The young miss is in the library."

"Thank you," Shadow said. He crossed the living room and walked down the hall, his shoes making no noise in the old carpet. He knocked on the door to the library. "I'm here!" he called softly.

The door opened. "Shadow! I'm so happy to see you! Please, come in!"

"How are you today, Maria?" Shadow asked, sitting down on the windowseat.

"I'm okay," came the response as the pretty blonde girl sank down into the heavily padded chair in front of her desk.

Both of them knew it was a lie. Maria hadn't been to school. She was still in her nightgown. The bags under her eyes seemed more pronounced today. Her left shoulder seemed to quiver as she sat down. There was a fresh purple bruise on her right ankle.

"I'm going to lose her," Shadow thought miserably. "If I can't get Father to help her, to speed up research, to do _something_, the day will arrive when I come to see her…and she won't be here anymore!"

Maria smiled. It was a tired smile, but it was genuine. Nothing ever seemed to get her down. Not even the doctor's prognosis last year. "How are _you_ today, Shadow?" she asked.

"I'm…going to be starting at your uncle's school tomorrow," Shadow said.

Maria giggled. "That's great! Gives me incentive to get out of my room and go to school!"

Shadow wondered why she would even want to waste her time at school. Her precious time. But he knew that Maria loved to be around people. Always had. Hadn't she sought him out years ago, at the stupid party? When the other kids had picked on him because of his origins? Hadn't she been the only one to talk to him, billionaire Black Doom's dirty little secret with a member of the hired help? Maria had always been there for him. And no matter what, Shadow swore he would be there for her.

However much time she had left.

In case you're wondering, I'm assuming this is Japan, so they're speaking Japanese. If you'd rather place them in America, just switch Japanese and English around.


End file.
